All the Galaxies — Philip Miller

The Lovely Bones meets Margaret Atwood in this extraordinary, deeply moving, supernatural story of a young man?s journey to find his mother, wrapped in a dystopian novel about an epic battle between good and evil that threatens to destroy a near future city. John Fallon is a disillusioned journalist on a failing Glasgow newspaper. After a second failed independence referendum, Scotland is in turmoil, having broken into a number of autonomous city states. Roland, his son, has gone missing after a student protest turns into a violent clash with the newly militarised police. In outer space, a boy is wakened in the afterlife by his spirit guide, his beloved childhood dog, Kim. Kim takes the boy on a journey to the planets where the dead go, where he hopes to find his long dead mother. Meanwhile, Fallon, searching for his son, uncovers a trail that leads to beleaguered city leader, Parry, and his shadowy advisor, Norloch. As the boy and his dog make a shocking discovery that requires an impossible choice, Fallon discovers that a great deal more is at stake than the future of one nation. In All the Galaxies, Philip Miller presents a mesmerising morality tale than proves both a compulsive page-turner and unforgettable emotional journey.